Cadusian campaign of Artaxerxes II
Artaxerxes' Cadusian Campaign | |||||||
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Media Atropatene, location of the Cadusian campaign | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Achaemenid Empire | Cadusii | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
unknown | |||||||
Strength | |||||||
300,000 infantry 10,000 cavalry | unknown |
The Cadusian Campaign was a military campaign of King
The Cadusii people lived in a mountainous district of
Artaxerxes organized an expedition that, according to Plutarch, consisted of 300,000 infantry soldiers and 10,000 cavalry soldiers.[3] He commanded the expedition in person and among the officers accompanying him were Tiribazus and Datames. Advancing inside enemy territory, it didn't take long before the army started to suffer from starvation.[4] The mountainous terrain offered little food but some pears, apples, and other tree-fruits insufficient to feed such a host of fighting men.[3] The army was reduced to eating their own beasts of burden first and later their own cavalry mounts.[3]
Tiribazus found a solution to resolve the campaign and save the King's army. He knew that the Cadusii were divided between two rival chiefs so he sent his son to negotiate with one while he negotiated with the other.[4] Both Tiribazus and his son convinced the Cadusii chiefs that the other had sent envoys to the Persian King and sought an advantageous peace.[4] Neither of the two chiefs wanting to be outmaneuvered by their rival, they submitted to Artaxerxes.[4] With the successful negotiations concluded the army retreated, ending the campaign.